Anybody can make an ad. A brand doesn’t.
In Costa Rica, as in the world, there are many people making ads. And of course, people hiring them. Many are those who assume that their brands or products need to advertise to sell, achieve a good level of recall, communicate their attributes and achieve a positioning. Right?
Well, I have to say that I no longer believe in positioning, nor in ads, let alone focusing on selling a product for its attributes. I believe in design as the center of every business problem or opportunity, and therefore, in designing a unique experience to provoke business for unlimited time. I believe in advertising as the way to reflect the personality designed for a product or service, consistent and seductive. I believe in building relationships in addition to achieving transactions, in an approach that achieves emotional connections for a lifetime.
The old formula of differentiating a product or service through advertising no longer works. It used to be that with a good product, all you needed was extraordinary marketing and advertising. Now the world has changed and it’s simple: the product or service has to be extraordinary first. This is why design is key and must be at the center of every strategic table. Design does not come at the end of the process, it starts with design.
As this is not understood by many, there are many people throwing their money into ads… which they report. In a remarkable amount, ads are made to be approved by the client, and not necessarily to connect people and brand. The ads they communicate are full of data, features, promotional mechanics, screaming announcers, big product, price, etc. We already know this.
There are many who believe that they have to advertise their products for attributes common to all, there are many who remain focused on selling them, without understanding that the products and their attributes are absolutely insufficient, in most cases. If they stopped ordering their ads, and the agencies stopped taking orders, and placed their trust in recognized market experts, located in several prestigious agencies in the country, their brands would have personality, they would tick and provoke the tin that those few we call Lovemarks do.
It’s true, an ad can be made by anyone, in a garage, in an office, with a Mac or a pencil and paper. However, developing a winning brand is a separate issue, proper of those who know the complexity of the human being, the market opportunities, in short, especially of those who understand that emotions are the force that drives actions, and that a brand can inspire loyalty, beyond all reason.
But the truth is that anyone can make an ad. A Lovemark, really very few.
